Chez Mona | New Avenue Homes

Mona and her daughter’s family moved from separate car-dependent neighborhoods to a shared property in a very walkable area close to downtown Berkeley, California. Her daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren live in the house at the front of the lot while Mona has a newly-built cottage at the back, nicknamed Chez Mona in reference to a nearby restaurant.

Their new home base allows the family members to walk to nearby grocery stores, numerous eateries, the local high school and after-school activities. And while they weren’t that far apart before, living right next door makes it easy for Mona to see her family on a daily basis.

Chez Mona was designed and built by New Avenue Homes, a company that specializes in accessory dwelling units. It has an efficient 610 ft² (56.7 m²) floor plan containing two bedrooms, one of which Mona uses as a home office. She opted for a linear kitchen instead of the peninsula design shown on the plan, creating a more open living area. There is quite a bit of closet space, including a coat closet right by the entrance, a feature often omitted from small house designs. The tile floors throughout are kept comfortable by in-floor radiant heat.

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Photographs courtesy of New Avenue Homes.

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